Rob Cohen To Direct ‘Category 5’ For Mark Damon’s Foresight Unlimited

In a pre-Berlin move, Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious) has come on-board to direct Foresight disaster action thriller Category 5. The project follows a team of tech hackers, who infiltrate a U.S. Mint facility on a small coastal town to steal $102M in cash, just as a disastrous Category 5 hurricane, the storm of the century, is about to strike and level it to the ground. The only other two people left in the town, a meteorologist and a female treasury agent, must survive the horrific storm while stopping the thieves from getting away with the heist of the century.

Production is slated for to begin by summer this year.Foresight Unlimited will handle foreign sales. Casting is currently underway. The film will be produced by Karen Baldwin, Michael Tadross Jr., and Danny Roth. Howard Baldwin, Mark Damon, Bill Immerman and Tamara Birkemoe will exec produce.

“Crossing a heist movie set amidst the intense action of a natural disaster was an idea to which I truly responded. It’s a chance for me to get back to my roots in doing the adrenaline-pumped action/special effects films I love to create,” said Rob Cohen in a statement.

It’s familiar terrain for Cohen, who directed the first The Fast and the Furious, as well as xXx, with Vin Diesel. He most recently directed The Boy Next Door starring Jennifer Lopez for Universal Pictures, and is attached to direct The Adventures of Marco Polo for Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman at Paramount Pictures. Cohen is repped by Rob Carlson, WME and Craig Baumgarten of Link Management, and Michael Schenkman, attorney at Bloom, Hergott.

Why would anyone try to stop the crooks? They should partner with the crooks and help them get away for a share of the loot. The money is easily replaced they can print new bills at another facility. I wish I could steal that much cash during a hurricane then I wouldn’t have to play the lotto any more.